Automatic clutch release



' C. E. CAIN.

" AUTOMATIC CLUTCH RELEASE.

AP?LICATION. FILED FEB.- 26. I921:

Patented June 6,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

MPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, I92].

Patented June 6 CLARENCE E. oAmQor win/inn, TEXAS.:' 15],-

' CAUTQMATIC twice RELEASE;

i niseieg I v To all whom it may; mam I Be t known that I, CLARENCE CAIN; a citizen' of the United Statesiesiding at VVilr' mer, in the county ofDallas and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements .in r-iiuzoinatic Clutch Beleases, of which t'ion. i I

This invention relates to. new and "useful improvements in automatic clutch releases. The invention has particularly to do with an automatic clutch release for a tractor.

the following is a specifica- Certain types of tractors frequently turn turtle when the clutch pedallis released on certain kinds ofground. The clutch effects a sudden engagement, whereby the front end.

of'the tractor swings upward and often turns completely over backward and 1I13Ll18S the driver.. The principal object of the invention is to provide means autoinatically operated by the front axle to operate the clutch when the front end of the tractor is lifted, whereby the clutch is disengaged and the front end of the tractor permitted to drop before it has'beeni-aised to a pointjsufiicient to turn over backwairdlyQ Another feature resides 'in means for holdingthe clutch out of engagement until released by the op erator.

A construction designed to carry out the invention I will be hereinafter described to-. gether with other features of the invention.

v The invention will be more readily understood from a reading Q'fthGSPl-ifilfiCtLtlOIl and by reference tothe accompanying drawings, lIlWlllOh an example of the 1nvent1on is I shown and wherein: p 7 Fig.1 is a side elevation of attractor equipped with a release device constru'cted in accordance with my'invention',

Fig. 2 is a detailin front elevation'of the mechanism associated with the axle,

i Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same, n

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same, Fig. 5 is a detail of the telescoping and ball and socket joints of the device and Fig. 6' is a detail of'the retaining device.

" In the drawings the numeral 10 designates the. clutch pedal of a tractor, 11 the front axle casting, 12 the front axle and 13 thev pivot bolt on which the front axle is pivoted. The front axle is mounted on wheels 14c and the rear of the tractor issupported ;on,

wheels 15.

My invention is made inthe form ofan 7 upper en'dof theg'arni is pivoted toaflink 2 6 '1 with an upstanding arm 3 5 which has an eye at its upper end receiving oneend fof a suitable place.

change madein the tractor is in the case of i i the front casting 11.. The casting is] either altered or another substituted therefonj The Specification of Letters'Patent. 11116 6, 1922. I Application filed-Februery26; 1 32 1. e ew nesses.

lower furcationslS and. 17 of the casting- 11,

are each provided with a vertical slot lSiin.

which the 'pivotboltfl3 is "mounted. fNor mally the pivot bolt is at the top of theslots. iAlaterally extending arm 19 is castor otherwise provided on one: side 'of the "furcation l7 and has a rearwardlyextendingbracket 20 alongthe rear edge of. which a' bearing sleeve 21"i's secured. .A' rook shaft"22 is v mounted in thesleeve and on its innerend is secured the uppeiyend of icurvedtripping 22' so as to rock'thesame;

lever 23 having its freeend,bearingagainst On the outer end of the' shaft' ariup wardly "extending. arrnj25 is moU'htd'jfTh,

which is piv ted atits reai end'to a slide bar 27; angular-fin crosssectlon and, pass ng so I through a'housing 28; The housing an "I upwardly extendinggand' f inwardly fbent,

bracket by which it'is supported; fThis" bracket is secured ingplaee Jbylone qfj the crank case bolts 3,0fof the tractor. Ratfchet teeth .31are provided in the. upper side of. the bar27 and 'are'exposed'throughaslot tween a pair, of ears atomap 'ofth'e'hous throughthe slot .321 The pawl is provided ratchet't'eeth are arranged so that thebar jrn'a'y sli'de forwardly" under. the 'pj'awl lout '32 inthehousingi' Apawl33 is pivoted be f i I I. ing sothat its 'poi'nt engages the teeth" 31;

36 is attached to an ear 37 onfth e, forward i endof the housing, whe'reb'y the' 'pawtis, I I held in contact with the ratchetteeth,"The,

will eatch 'on said pawl'and preventfa' rear ward movement of said bar until the pawl is raisedfi Forraisingthe pawl provide a rod 38 having its forward encl'eng'agingfin the eye of the arm 35 andpassing through a bracket 39 which is attached to one of the I bolts holding The bar 271m an inwardly off set-"exten- 1 the fuel tank 40 or any other sion Q1 at its rearend pivoted in the jaw Q2 at the forward end of a tubular member Q3 having longitudinal slots QQ receiving a cross pin Q5 carried by a shank Q6 telescopinginto the member. At its rear'end the shank Q6 carries a socket Q7 receiving a ball Q8. as is best shown in Fig. 5. The ball is ofi set lat- 'erall-y from the forward end of an arm which is clamped to the clutch pedal 10" by a screw bolt 51 or in any other suitable manner.

By reason of the telescoping shank Q6 the pedallt) may be freely depressed without dis tnrbing the releasing device as is obvious.

' The operation of the device is as follows? Should, the front end of the tractor be lifted the axle 12 will remain stationary, the pivot bolt 13 and slotsv 18 undergoing relative movement, whereby the casting 11 is carried upwardly. When the casting 11 is moved upwardly, the axle resting 011 the end of the;

lever 23 will cause the same to swing whereby the shaft22 will be rocked and the arm 25 swung forwardly. The forward movement of the arm 25 exerts a forward pull on the rod 26 which in turn pulls the .bar 27 5 forwardly so that the teeth 31 ride under the pedal of a tractor,-a connection between the arm and the clamp, and means for rocking I the connection against retractive-imovement pawl 33, whereby the parts are held in the position to which they are moved. The bar 27 pulls the member Q3 and the shanlr'QG forwardly whereby the arm 50 is swung and.

' and, shape of the parts and modifications and alterations may'also be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention. VVhatI claim, is:

1.' In an automatic clutch release'attach merit, a lever, means for-supporting the lever imposition to be operated by the axle of thetractor, a swinglng arm connected with the lever, a clamp for engagement with theclutch pedal of a tractor, anda connection between the arm and the clamp.

'2. In an automatic clutch release attachment, a lever, means for supporting the lever in position to be operatedby the axle of the tractor, a'swinglng arm connected with the lever, a, clamp for engagement withthe clutch said locking means to free the connection.

after it has been pulled forwardly by the swinging arm. I

3. In an automatic tractor clutch release device, the combination with the clutch pedal and the front axle of a tractor, said axle having-vertically sliding engagement with the tractor, of a tripping lever pivoted adjacent the axle and having its swinging end disposed under said axle,aswinging arm coniiected with the lever, a member clamped to the clutch pedal, and ajointed connection between the swinging arm and said member. Q. In an automatic tractor clutchrelease device, the combination with the clutch pedal and the front axle of a tractor, said axle having vertically sliding engagement with the tractor, of a-tripping lever pivoted adjacent the axle and having its swinging end dis-' posed under said axle, a swinging arm connected with the lever, a member'clamped to the clutch pedal, and a jointed connection between tbe swinging arm' and said. member, said jointed connection having a'telescopingl portion for permitting operation of the clutch pedal without swinging the arm and lever.

5. In an automatic tractor clutchlrelease device, the combination with the. clutch pedal v and the front axle of a tractor, said axle havingvertically sliding engagement with the tractor, of a tripping lever pivoted adjacent the axle andhaving its swinging end disposed nnder said axle,-a swinging arm connected with the lever, a member clamped to.

the clutch pedalpa jointed connection between the swinging arm and said member,

locking device engaging the jointed connec--.

tion for holding the same in itsv forwardly displaced position. andm'eans for releasing 6. In an automatic clutch release device for tractors, the combination with the clutch pedal, the forward casting, the front .axle which is pivoted andvertically slidable in said casting, ofabracket carried by the cast-- ing, a'roclcshaft mounted in the bracket, a

tripping lever attached to one end of the shaft and engaging under the axle, a swinging arm attached to the other end of the shaft, a. clamp arm secured to the clutch pedal, a jointed connection between the clamp arm and the swinging arm, a housing through which th'e connection passes, said connection having ratchet "teeth, a pawl niounted on the housing and engagingythe ratchet teeth, and-means for swinging the pawl to withdraw 1t fromsaid teeth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signatur'e. CLARENCE E. 

